Travel search engine, SideStep, has formed marketing partnerships with six international airlines, including Lufthansa, Air France, Cathay Pacific, Qantas, Aer Lingus and Air New Zealand. It plans to use a broad suite of marketing programs to drive consu

Published: 10 Mar 2005

Travel search engine, SideStep, has formed marketing partnerships with six international airlines, including Lufthansa, Air France, Cathay Pacific, Qantas, Aer Lingus and Air New Zealand. It plans to use a broad suite of marketing programs to drive consu

"As we move forward in establishing Aer Lingus as a pioneer in creating a low cost, low fares carrier over the Atlantic, our sales and marketing strategies will also be evolving," says Helen Maguire, Aer Lingus' Director of Consumer Sales. "Aer Lingus' relationship with SideStep represents a key ingredient in our plans to drive a valuable set of prospective customers directly to our web site, where they will receive the lowest Aer Lingus fares available at the time of booking.”

"SideStep represents online travel's next generation, and its search engine model is well-aligned with our marketing strategy," adds Marcus Casey, Lufthansa's Director of Marketing and Customer Relations, North America. "SideStep has already proven to be one of Lufthansa's top online marketing performers. By directing prospects to our Web site, SideStep not only helps us to further develop our most cost-efficient sales channel, it also enables us to forge direct relationships between travellers and our brand."

Brian Barth, Chief Executive Officer of SideStep, which evidently saw a dramatic increase in searches for flights from the US to international destinations in 2004, contends that its customers have a strong interest in overseas travel. He believes that for international travel providers looking to connect directly with American consumers, SideStep delivers marketing that is both effective and efficient.